Bataki

‘Bataki’ is a Sesotho and Setswana word for ‘artists’ of fine art. It is an initiative that was once funded by the National Lotteries Distribution Trust Fund (NLTDF). Young artistically gifted South Africans from all the provinces are working together to produce indigenous artwork that reflects our heritage. Dr Lemma Guya, an Ethiopian veteran, transferred this rare skill to nine unemployed young artists who spent three months in Ethiopia. Today, many more have learned the skill and use it as a means of a ‘Golden Economy’ for themselves and to communicate their heritage in beautiful paintings across the country and abroad.